


Plead the Fifth

by darlinghookshipper87



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Amnesia Karen Page, Concerned Frank Castle, F/M, Frank makes a decision
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 16:23:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12461472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlinghookshipper87/pseuds/darlinghookshipper87
Summary: Karen gets attacked and gets amnesia in the process. Frank has to decide between seeking vengeance or taking care of Karen.





	Plead the Fifth

**Author's Note:**

> Title's from the Kip Moore song 'Plead the Fifth. (Good song you should give it a listen!)

This wasn’t like Karen, not answering his calls, returning his texts. Especially when it was so late. He called her office and it just rang and went to her work voicemail. She always made sure to let him know if she was going out or going to be late. To prevent him worrying like this. 

It was almost midnight  when he finally picked up a sidearm, pulled on his jacket and grabbed the spare keys to her place so he could get back in more easily. He left and went out in search for her. 

He started at the Bulletin, following her route home. He couldn’t stop the sinking feeling in his gut that something had happened to her. Karen Page had a lot of enemies, all her articles that she wrote equaled people wanting her dead. And he was innately protective of her because of that. 

He passed by an alleyway between a convenience store and dry cleaners and that’s when he saw it. A patch of bright blonde in a dark alley.  _Karen_. He rushed to her and inspected her. A gash on her head indicated that she was hit over the head and the more he looked, the worse it looked. Her purse was missing, and she had bruising on her wrists and neck. “Shit.” He muttered. “Ma’am. Wake up.” He coaxed to her and gently patted her cheek as he felt for her pulse. Faint, but there was one. “C’mon ma’am. Please.” He begged her. 

Finally, her eyes fluttered open and he sighed in relief. “Karen.” He whispered to her and reached to stroke her cheek gently before she jerked away from him. “Don’t touch me!” She cried at him in fear. His eyes searched hers, she didn’t recognize him. Amnesia. “Hey it’s okay. We’re…. Friends.” He explained to her and tried to help her up. “I’m gonna get you home and looked at.” He tried to explain to her. The Punisher couldn’t exactly walk her into the ER, and he didn’t want to leave her alone. 

“Please Karen…. Let me help you.” He practically begged her. Karen eyed him warily for a moment but soon, the dizziness gave into practicality and Frank helped her up and scooped her into his arms. Carrying her steadily back to her building and into her apartment. He set her on her bed and Max sniffed her curiously. “He’s your friend too.” Frank assured Karen who was looking at Max warily as well. 

Karen looked so small and fragile. She didn’t have her phone with her so he couldn’t call that nurse friend of hers. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone and called Red. “Red. Get over to Page’s and call your nurse friend and get her over here now.” He growled into the phone before shutting it again. He was pacing. He wanted to hunt this bastard down and kill him for hurting her like this. She was one of the last people in his life who…. And now she didn’t even remember him. 

This bastard was going to pay. His hands balled into fists at his side as he went back to Karen’s side. “Hey…. Let me look at that.” He encouraged her softly and she shied away from him. He swallowed and stared at her. She wouldn’t even let him near her. He would never hurt her, damn amnesia. 

There was a knock at the door and he saw Matt Murdock crawling through the window, much like Frank did. “Red.” Frank gruffly greeted him and went to the door. “You Claire?” He asked the brunette woman at the door. “Do you know another nurse who helps vigilantes in the dead of night?” She muttered out and slipped past him. 

“Frank, what happened?” Matt asked him, in his Daredevil gear as Claire moved to the bedroom to assess Karen. Max trotting behind to supervise. “She never came home from work. I found her in an alley like that. Purse gone too. Dunno if it was a random mugging or targeted attack.” He admitted and scrubbed his face as he perched on her couch. 

“Sh-She don’t remember me Red.” He muttered out and sighed. “I’m gonna find this bastard and I’m gonna kill him.” His voice was eerily steady now. “She’s scared of me and I would never hurt her.” He went on. Matt didn’t exactly approve of whatever Frank and Karen had. But he knew that much about it. That Frank would never hurt Karen. “Stay here Frank. She’ll need you. I’m going to see what I can hear about this. I’ll update you.” Matt told him and disappeared out the fire escape and Frank stayed.

It was the first time Frank had ever listened to him. He was annoyingly right. Karen needed him. Even if she didn’t remember him right now. Claire came out of Karen’s bedroom and leaned against the door frame. “Sweet dog, Karen’s taken to him…. Again.” She told him and stuck her hands in her pockets. “How is she?” He asked hoarsely. 

“Physically? She’s fine. Bruising’s superficial. Nine stitches on her head. But she can sleep if she wants. You probably should stay here tonight with her just in case.” She told him and sat next to him on the couch. “What about her memory? Will it come back?” He asked her. Claire shrugged and looked at him. “The brain’s a weird organ. It should come back eventually. It wasn’t a serious blow to the head. Might just take time.” She told him. 

He nodded at her in agreement and thanks. “Thank you.” He told her sincerely and looked at her. “She…. She’s important.” He said simply and scrubbed his hands on his face again. “I’ll bill you.” She quipped dryly. “She’s resting now, but I’d check on her. Just remind her how gentle you really are around her. She’ll stop being scared of you.” He nodded again as Claire left and he sat there for a long while.

Wondering how he got here. He wasn’t supposed to care about her. But here he was. Caring about her and desperately wanting her to remember him. After a bit, he went to check on her. She was sleeping, and damn if she didn’t look like an angel with her blonde hair spread out on her pillow. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked at him. “Sorry. Was just checkin’ on ya ma’am.” He muttered and smirked at Max laying on her bed on her legs. 

“It’s okay. I-I…. That nurse said that we’re friends.” She told him and shrugged. “I don’t remember you though. Or her. Or him.” She admitted and mentioned to Max. “I want to remember though.” She whispered at him and Frank knelt next to her where she was laying. “It’s okay. It’ll come back soon.” He promised her and desperately wanted to reach out to her, and stroke her cheek or hair in reassurance. 

“Do you want anything? Tea? Somethin’ to eat?” He offered her and heard a rustle at the window. Red. “There’s someone here.” Karen whispered in terror and gripped his arm. “I know. It’s a friend of yours…. A…. Co-worker of mine.” He tried to explain. “I’ll be back.” He promised her and hesitated for a moment before kissing her uninjured temple and left the room. 

“You find anythin’?” He muttered at him. Matt held out Karen’s purse and Frank took it from him. “Where’s he now?” Frank growled at Matt. “Tied to the roof, waiting for you. Told him he was going to answer for beating up the Punisher’s….. Special friend.” Matt finished before going to the window. “Good night Frank. Tell Karen I hope she feels better.” He told him and then disappeared into the night. 

Frank stared at the purse and then looked back at Karen through the crack of her bedroom door. She had fallen asleep again, Max had army crawled up to Karen and was cozied into her side. Frank decided that tonight…. He wasn’t going to see vengeance or punishment. And that Karen needed him more tonight. Even if she didn’t remember him. 

He slipped out of his combat boots and was planning on sleeping on the couch. But…. He stopped and went to her bed. Tentatively, he slipped in behind her and laid down next to her. Hoping she was okay with it. 

At some point in the night, he had fallen asleep and woke to Karen’s head on his chest and her tracing designs on his t-shirt absentmindedly. Which surprised him and he glanced down at her. “Ma’am?” He muttered to her. “Good morning Frank.” She greeted him softly. “How are you feeling?” He asked her softly and gently stroked her arm with his thumb. “Head hurts. But….” She looked up at him and smiled softly. He was looking at her hesitantly. “I remember you now.” She promised him. “And Matt and Claire.” She reassured him. “You didn’t kill anyone for me.” She said with a smirk. 

Frank could kiss her right now for remembering him. But he restrained. “Well, Red left him tied to the roof. Figured I’d let him sweat it out for the night before I did.” He smirked back at her before kissing her head gently. “I missed you last night ma’am.” 


End file.
